Shadowed Eyes
by Fezzes64
Summary: Alfred is in his Fifth year at Hogwarts, and not only meets with his best friends-The four Kirkland brothers- again, but also meets the fifth, who he'd never met or heard of before. He has a dark secret, concealing his face with his hooded robe. He's only allowed to wear it because his mother is the Headmistress. Alfred becomes his only friend, since Allistor won't forgive him...


_PotterTalia~_

_Of Wizards and Brothers~_

"Ah..." Alfred sighed, his bright blue eyes widening in anticipation. He braced himself, heightening the suspense as he purposefully stalled, knowing he would leave the muggle-world in just mere moments. Oh, what he wouldn't give to abandon this world forever and just stay in the magical place that waited patiently before him! It was his whole destiny that had literally drawn out its own path for him, in this domain of awe. He would achieve his dream, to be the greatest wizard in all of history. Or...Surpass Harry Potter! As usual, like every year, this thought process took considerably longer than it should, and he hesitated a moment, reluctant to move.

"Alfred, can you go already? I know you're a prefect, but that doesn't mean you're in charge of everything." an irritable soft voice asked behind him.

Casting his gaze out over his shoulder with his purple 'P' badge flashing, he offered that trademark smile of his and winked at the speaker, a blonde violet-eyed peer. "Heh, sorry, Mattie." he said to his brother, grinning innocently. He turned back around to face the wall in front of him, still reluctant. He sighed almost inaudibly and regained his bearings, summoning up the courage. With one last nostalgic glance around him, he suddenly raced forward, his cart jostling and his owl crying out shrilly. Alfred lowered his head, pushed with more power, and shut his eyes tightly as he hit the wall, braced for impact even if he knew very well there would be none. He cracked an eye open, looking at the ground as he slid to a stop, and beamed suddenly at the sight. Right in front of him stood the red and black shiny Hogwarts express, fuming in all its magical glory. He strolled forward for a bit, taking in all the wonder that filled the air, all the magic that flew about platform 9 3/4.

"Alfred, wait!" Matthew called as he finally came through the portal. "W-wait for me-"

"Oi, look, it's Alfie and Mattie!" a familiar heavily accented voice boomed nearby, big and happy as the oaf usually was.

Alfred's head whirled around, his eyes glittering with happiness and his smile huge as he came face-to-face with him, a big, tall Seventh Year with messy Ginger hair and bright emerald eyes...And obnoxiously large eyebrows. Beside him were his other three brothers, Sixth Year, two of them also ginger-haired and the other blonde.

"Allistor!" Alfred exclaimed excitedly, throwing his arms around the Scottish boy. "Hey, it's been a while! I've missed you guys!" he said happily, exchanging a hug with all of them, the Kirkland Brothers.

"Aw, that's nice of you, Alfie." the Welsh blonde chuckled and patted his back. "We honestly don't see you all that much anymore, mate."

"I miss coming over to your house, Alan," Alfred admitted to him, circling up with the older wizards. Matthew joined in as well, getting hugs from the boys. "I mean, seriously, when was the last time we went to a Quidditch match together?"

"Um, two weeks ago, mate." Adrian, the brother from Northern Ireland reminded him, chuckling.

"Oi! That's still quite a ways off!" Aiden, born in The Republic of Ireland teased, smacking Adrian's arm. "We used to go every week, remember? Ah, the feuds we had! Remember Ireland ?! Or...England vs. Germany!"

"Dude, Ludwig got so mad, bro!" Alfred laughed, remembering the German prefect's face when the English seeker had caught the snitch. "And then when that frog hopped on his face when he was just about to explode! Ha! Oh stars, Ludwig was hilarious!" All the Kirkland brothers burst out laughing at that, remembering their other close friend who they hadn't seen at the station quite yet.

"And what exactly was I hilarious about?" a low, dangerous sounding voice asked behind Alfred, making him start in alarm and causing Allistor to have to cling to Aiden in his laughter.

...Well, I stand corrected.

"Ludwig!" Alfred cheered, turning and clapping a boy on the shoulder who was slightly taller than he, wearing robes with a blue emblem, an Eagle representing his house on it. "Nice to see ya, bro!" he dragged the said peer of his in the group while Alan helped Allistor up, shaking his head and laughing.

"I asked you a question." Ludwig said, sounding rather scary. However, his eyes hinted he was only kidding, and he soon laughed with him, chuckling in amusement. Eventually he pointed out "We should get on the train; it's going to leave in two minutes."

"Oh, crap, you're right!" America checked his watch and turned back towards his belongings, gripping the cart handle. Pulling it after the Kirkland's, he waited for Ludwig and Mattie before hurrying towards the edge of the Platform and following the brothers to the Steam Engine. He inhaled deeply, taking in the air and smiling with how sweet it tasted, almost pungent on his tongue. Sighing, he followed the Kirkland's as they hopped up from the platform onto the train, and dragged his cart, barely managing to get it in as well with him.

He looked down to the left for a moment, looking at all the smiling faces and bright atmosphere, some of the young wizards and witches even waving at him. Waving back, he smiled, but a gentle nudge from behind made him stumble suddenly towards the right. "The others went down towards the center of the train, Alfred." Ludwig said in his ear.

"Oh. Right, sorry." Alfred said quickly, clambering down the aisle and looking to and fro for the familiar bunch. Finally, he spotted Aiden waving at him and immediately perked up like a puppy presented with a treat, hurrying towards the compartment. He checked to see if Ludwig and Matthew were right behind him, but realized they'd gone into another compartment, so he sauntered his way a little further on down towards the opening. He had to strain to reach the door as a few people moved past him and he managed a smile as he finally caught it and pulled himself closer, forcing it open.

However, before he stepped inside, he noticed the compartment right next to the Kirklands', which only had one person in it. They donned a dark robe with the hood over their head, their knees pulled to their chest. It was only for a second, but Alfred thought whoever they were looked rather sad... Ah. Well. Not his business. Forgetting the image as soon as he'd settled in the room, he put his things in the cabinets and squeezed in on one side, struggling to keep it comfortable with a room that held five people.

"So, Alfie, brother." Adrian said, patting his head. "How've you been, mate? We've too much to catch up on!" he chuckled, his eyes bright.

"Oh, I've been fine! I mean, Mattie and I had this awesome vacation to Texas! We didn't ride horses around, though...But we saw plenty of rodeos!" Alfred replied excitedly, waving his hands like an Italian in emphasis while the others stared at him incredulously. They all seemed impressed by the thought of Texas, though. "Mattie almost got trampled by this random bull, but of course since I'm the hero, I saved him and learned how to ride one!"

"Really? That's so cool! I've never been to the states..." Adrian winced, sounding a bit jealous. Suddenly his expression lit up, like he remembered something, and he leaned towards Alfred eagerly. "Did we mention our youngest is finally coming this year?" he asked, his eyes wide. Alfred vaguely noticed Allistor had rolled his eyes and Aiden ignored it but he was more onto Adrian, confused by his words.

"Your...youngest...? Your youngest what?" Alfred tilted his head, perplexed.

"Brother! Our youngest brother!" Adrian exclaimed, staring at Alfred like he'd just grown a second head. "You didn't know we had a younger brother?"

"Oh, don't start with this, Dri..." Allistor rolled his eyes, his expression suddenly bitter.

"Oi. Alfred's a close friend. He deserves to know." Alan interrupted pointedly. "Besides, I don't see how he couldn't have overheard us talking about 'im. He is related, for Wizards' sakes. How have you not heard...?" he looked in the prefect's direction, however asking the question more to himself than anyone else.

"Whatever." Allistor muttered irritably, grudgingly resting his chin in the palm of his hand, glaring out the window.

"Oh, if you're so eager to get it over with, why don't you explain?" Adrian retorted, pouting in his direction.

Alfred could only look back and forth between the three, glancing at Aiden for help. However the Irish boy merely coughed politely and pretended not to notice. So, hopelessly, he glanced wistfully at Allistor, who groaned and lowered his thick eyebrows angrily. His eyes full of questions, Alfred waited.

"We have a little brother named Arthur." Allistor said flatly. "He's a complete jerk and is totally secluded when it comes to going into public places. He used to live in London for the past few years since that was where he was born, but last year he moved back in with us. We've been miserable ever since." He didn't move his searing glare from the window; only furrowed his red eyebrows, indicating he was annoyed.

"Allistor!" Alan gasped in horror, his blue eyes widening in shock.

"Shut up." Allistor replied breezily.

"Oh my bloody stars, what is wrong with you?!" Alan demanded, smacking the Scottish boy on the head before rushing out of the compartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Good Goblins, Allistor..." Adrian shook his head sadly. "I thought you'd be over that by now..."

"How could I be bloody over it?!" Allistor snapped. "There's no 'getting over it', Dri."

Alfred merely stared in shock at Allistor; in all the years he'd known him, he'd never heard him be so mean before, especially not in front of him. And he'd never heard any of the Kirkland's say 'bloody' before...Alfred shuddered, a sudden chill running down his spine. His whole childhood admiration for Allistor had just been shattered. It was kind of funny, really, to realize how fast Alfred's opinion of the Scottish wizard changed. And another thing; he didn't understand why he could share such a hatred for their little brother. He'd never even met the guy, but he already felt sorry for him...If he had a big guy like Allistor despising him, he'd be scared out of his mind, to be honest. The dude was scary! Alfred didn't even understand what he couldn't get over...Surely nothing terrible had happened, right?

Aiden noticed Alfred was trembling. "Allistor..." he said softly.

"WHAT?!" the Scot demanded, making Alfred flinch.

Aiden merely gestured to him. "I have to admit, I don't like Arthur either, but I'm not going to lose my temper over it. You're scaring the living daylights out of Alfie, brother. I would calm down if I were you." As he said this, Adrian lay a hand on the American's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's nothing to worry about, mate." he said softly, although his eyes hinted otherwise.

Just then, the door to the compartment opened once more, and Alan leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms angrily. He looked worried, but angry at the same time, and somewhat defeated and sorrowful. His expression was almost worse than Allistor's.

"Nice going, Allistor." he snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, bother, what happened?" Allistor asked, rolling his eyes towards his Welsh brother. He didn't even seem mildly concerned, let alone interested, to say the least.

"He's crying again, you bloody idiot." Alan said softly, possibly in consideration for who he spoke of. "I can't believe you said that, you-"

"Of course! Of bloody course he's crying!" Allistor threw his hands up in the air and stood, challenging. "Like I care!"

"Shut up! He can hear you!"

"I said I don't bloody care!"

This made Alan's eyes grow hard with anger and he yelled back at Allistor, starting a heated argument between all four of the brothers, yelling louder and louder as if trying to overcome and defy volume.

Alfred's eyes widened in shock as he listened to the brothers arguing. He was scared now. He didn't know of what, but he was terrified. The brothers were so threatening when they argued, and they looked so unfamiliar with frowns; he'd only ever seen them with smiles. But for some reason...He was concerned about their brother. Arthur was his name, right? He'd never heard of a fifth brother, not during the time he knew the Kirklands. He was curious; for one thing, why did Allistor and Aiden not like Arthur? Why did Alan and Adrian favor him? How much younger was he? And why had he never seen him before? Surely he would have at least caught a glance!

"H-hey, guys...?" Alfred asked meekly, raising a hand.

"Aye?" all four brothers turned to him in unison, suddenly calm and collected.

"I-I hope you don't mind...B-but could I meet Arthur...?" It was the only way he could think of to answer his questions; he wouldn't dare ask the brothers about it in fear of what could possibly go down. "I-I mean, I've never seen him before, a-and I was just wondering..."

"Of course, brother. We can't deny you that." Alan said quickly, cutting off Allistor before he could say anything. The two exchanged a quick glare before returning their gaze towards Alfred.

"Um...Okay. Where is he?"

"In the compartment right next to us."

"Oh," Alfred breathed in shock, realizing that the robed person he saw before he entered might have been Arthur. "Right, I'll, uh..." he stood, making a move towards the door. "I-I'll go meet him..."

"Oi, I'll go with you." Alan interrupted, sliding open the entrance for him. Alfred looked at him for a minute, trusting the Welsh friend of his completely, before nodding and going through and cautiously approaching the next dorm. Unable to manage the task of asking an intelligent question, he meekly asked "Is he...Is he nice?" Before Alan could open the next door.

"Oh, he's an adorable little bugger," Alan replied, smiling warmly. "He's a bit shy; he doesn't have any notable friends."

"Aw!" Alfred stared at Alan, saying that out of sympathy. "Why doesn't he?"

"Not quite sure..." Alan murmured, taking hold of the door handle. However the way he said that implied he did know. Pulling it open with one last glance at Alfred, he peeked his head in the room. "Arthur?" he asked gently. "Hey, Arthur, can you come out please?" Alfred had never heard such a tender voice come out of the 17-year-old. However, there was no answer to his request, so Alan pulled the door wider. "He's hiding." He explained to Alfred, seeing his confused expression. "He's a master at it; he's probably got his invisibility cloak on...Arthur, will you please come out?"

...No answer.

Alan looked like he was just about to say something, but before he could, Alfred was shoved from behind and both wizards slammed into the wall, crying out in surprise. Alfred quickly whirled around, rubbing his hurting arm to see the one to blame, almost overtaken with shock. He came face-to-face with a silver-blonde boy with dark eyes and a menacing leer on his face. The door to the compartment Alan had opened slowly slid shut as his hand was released from it, closing with a dull thud. Alan turned on the boy, clenching his fist angrily. Alfred had seen him before too, and he took note of the green emblem with the snake on his robes. The room echoed with simultaneous gasps as some other students watched.

"What do you want, Maximus?" Alan asked, annoyed with the Fifth year. He lowered his eyebrows as the Slytherin sized Alfred up, the confident smirk never leaving his lips. Alfred frowned, rather confused with his rival's actions, and kept a steady gaze on him. Maximus Malfoy was the son of Scorpius Malfoy, who was the son of Draco Malfoy. A Pure-blood, he tended to pick on others who weren't like him, just like his grandfather did. Alfred was not a Pure-blood, and Maximus had made it a well-known fact. The two had been feuding since their First Year, always squabbling like an old married couple in the Headmistress's opinion. They'd gotten in trouble before, but it was never Alfred's fault.

"Ah, not much~," he sang teasingly. "I just figured I might need a little help before school starts..." he grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"Help, meaning...?" Alfred hinted, pretending not to be daunted at all, while, in reality, he knew very well what he meant. And what he meant scared him. Maximus was a powerful wizard who studied hard to keep his magic spick-and-span. However he didn't seem to notice the Prefect badge gleaming proudly on Alfred's chest.

"Oh, nothing special. Just...Target practice~," Maximus replied, drawing his wand out from his fancy 'wand-sheath'. "And Jones, you look like just the right person to work with!" he suddenly danced backwards with his wand aimed at Alfred, laughing as if it were some sort of game. Alfred jerked backwards in surprise, remembering he'd left his own wand in the Kirkland's compartment and was therefore unable to defend himself. Swallowing thickly, he glanced back up to meet Maximus's wild gaze and backed up, holding his hands up defensively. "Heh, y-you see, er, Maximus-" he started, about to point out this fact.

"What's wrong, Jones?" Maximus asked mockingly, his voice high-pitched and childlike. "Where's your wand? Where's your _Mudblood pride_?!" he laughed again and started waving his wand tauntingly. "_Titillando_!" he yelled loudly, flicking his wand.

Alfred's eyes widened as the multiple ribbons of purple light shot at him, while Alan cried out. But it never got to strike. Alfred was yanked out of the way, being dragged almost violently by the arm, just before the attack could touch him and a boy drew up protectively in front of him, a boy who donned a dark green cloak with the hood thrown over his head.

At least, Alfred thought he was a boy. Girls don't typically wear that sort of thing, but he could be wrong. Anyway, whoever-it-was canceled out the spell without a word, shielding the three from the charm, and took a defensive pose, their body facing the side of the train with their wand trained on Maximus, and their other hand against Alfred's chest, as if making sure he was still there. The charm rebounded from the _Protego_ shield he put up, and it shot right back at Maximus. Maximus was struck with his own attack and was forced to his knees, his eyes wide like he'd just been stabbed a thousand times through the chest. Alfred almost thought he'd died even though he knew very well what the charm did. Suddenly Maximus burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and falling on his side, unable to breathe very well.

"Uh..." Alan couldn't form words. Everyone else on the train cart stared at the Slytherin, who was giggling his head off, then at the boy, who'd so valiantly defended Gryffindor's newest prefect. Alfred stared in shock as the boy straightened, then, just as abruptly as he'd come, turned heel and marched right back into a compartment. The compartment Alan had opened just moments before.

A wizard official burst in the room.

"What happened here?!" he asked, his eyes wild as his gaze fell upon Maximus. "What?!"

Alan shifted uncomfortably. "I-it was a him, sir." He nodded to Maximus, who was laughing like a madman. "He tried to cast that tickling charm he's suffering from right now to Alfred...But...S-someone blocked it..."

The wizard asked Alan something so soft that no one else heard, and pulled back as everyone stared wide-eyed at him. Something that sounded like 'Younger brother', came from his mouth. Not even Alfred heard what he said, and frowned, creasing his eyebrows and leaning forward to try to hear. Silence rang among the others as the Wizard frowned at him, seemingly sympathetically.

"...Yes." Alan replied in a murmur.

The wizard nodded in understanding, stroking his chin in thought. Turning to the other students, he said "No one worry, everything's just fine." Casting a counter-spell for the charm on Maximus and freeing him, he then rushed out of the room. Everyone stared at the door that the Wizard just left in, but Alfred looked at Alan who seemed anxious, and touched his shoulder. "Hey...What's wrong? Who was that boy?" he tugged the Alan's arm so he could see his face, feeling overwhelmed with both curiosity and worry. What had made Alan look so concerned? And why did the elder Wizard seem to understand?

"Aye, Alfie..." he murmured, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand. "That was Arthur, lad. My brother."

"Oh," Alfred drew back as he realized this. "_Oh_..."

Alan glanced off to the side at him, meeting his blue eyes, creasing his thick eyebrows in concern. Suddenly he beckoned Alfred, and turned towards the room the robed boy, Arthur, went in. "C'mon, you said you wanted to meet him, right?"

"Uhh, yeah..." Alfred hesitated, following Alan as he walked swiftly towards the door. "Sure..." he watched as Alan pulled the door open, striding powerfully in the room, a tense air about him. "Ah. Great." he muttered when he couldn't see anyone. He made sure Alfred was inside before closing the door, turning back to the room. He pouted as he looked around, almost angry.

"Arthur!" he called, reaching out and feeling around the small place. "Arthur! Arthur, where are you?! I know you're in-" Alan was cut off as he felt over the seats, his hand resting on something that wasn't there. "Ah..." he said, a small smirk fluttering briefly over his face. "Found you." He gripped invisible fabric and yanked it away dramatically, revealing the same cloaked boy as before. As he let the blanket fall on the seat, the boy cringed, hugging his knees to his chest, trembling now. Alfred really couldn't describe him any further than saying he had a really feminine form to his body; the hood covered his face completely.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's alright," Alan sat down next to his brother and pulled him close, forcing the smaller boy closer by tugging on his shoulders. "Don't cry, Artie, it's okay, shhh...Hey, remember when I told you about Alfred? He wants to talk to you." he said sweetly, wrapping his arms around his brother in a swift hug and releasing him just as fast.

Alfred heard a tiny whimper- almost inaudible- and the hooded boy made a nodding motion. With a small smile, Alan scooped up and moved the boy over his lap and in the spot next to him, standing and patting where he sat for Alfred. Alfred nodded and slowly took Alan's place, moving past the Welsh boy and sitting next to Arthur while Alan sat across from the two.

"Hello," Alfred said pleasantly, addressing Arthur. His voice was a bit softer than he meant it to be. "Your name is Arthur, right?"

...Well, that couldn't have sounded any stupider.

The boy nodded again, a small hand coming up to rub the top of his hood in a rather sheepish manner. He didn't say anything, though. He was obviously more comfortable not speaking. Alfred, of course, didn't appear to notice. "My name is Alfred; I'm a good friend of your brothers. It's nice to meet you," he offered kindly, looking where he presumed Arthur's eyes were. He stuck out a hand, an inviting smile on his face.

Arthur's hand moved from the top of his head. Only his fingers were visible; his robe sleeves were a bit long. But slowly, hesitantly, he grasped Alfred's hand with childlike reluctance. Alfred's smile grew wider and he gingerly shook his small hand, only releasing when he did. "Alan told me you were a bit shy; I can understand that. You were really good against Maximus...Do you like magic?" It was the only non-subjective question he could think of.

Alan looked a bit tense at this; he apparently wasn't sure what Arthur's reaction would be.

"...Yes, I like magic." a soft voice from under the hood eventually said, accented with his nationality. It was shy-sounding. Very shy. It didn't sound like he was crying, though, as Alan said he was.

Alan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, that's good. I like magic too," Alfred smiled, oblivious. "Your voice sounds cute," he dared to point out. "W-would you mind if I lifted your hood?"

...No answer.

Alfred frowned, but took it as a yes. A small smile fluttered briefly over his mouth So, he reached out towards the boy's face, gently taking the edge of the hood between his thumb and forefinger. Hesitating a moment, he glanced at Alan, who's eyes were wide with shock. Then, he slowly pulled it up.

Before even an inch of his face was revealed, both Arthur's hands shot up and yanked the hood back down, abruptly hiding himself once more. However, he quickly let go, as if thinking he'd done something wrong. "Arthur..." Alan said softly, slightly disappointed. "Alfie's a good guy, alright? Don't be mean." as he said this the boy brought his hands into his lap, wringing them and looking downwards guiltily.

Alfred took that as another cue to attempt to see his face, and gingerly tried again, dramatically slower this time. However, Arthur did not try and stop him. In fact, his shoulders visibly sagged, releasing a tension Alfred hadn't noticed. He frowned slightly, concerned, but he was honestly just curious. Pinching the soft fabric between his fingers once more, he lifted the hood. Only to get interrupted by the door being slammed open, making Arthur jerk backwards in surprise and allowing his hood to fall back down.

"Alfred! Brother! Alfred, Alan, are you two alright?!" Adrian demanded, his eyes wide with worry. He hardly seemed to notice Arthur in the seat next to him while he curled up, as if trying to make himself seem as small as possible.

Alfred frowned. "Uh, yeah, we're fine." he said, as if it were obvious.

"Nothing happened, brother." Alan assured Adrian with a smile. "Don't worry about us. Maximus was just being an idiot again."

"Oh. Um, okay." Adrian slowly closed the door again, and walked back into the Kirkland's compartment, still rather confused. Alfred turned to Alan, and the two shrugged. Arthur slowly relaxed, letting his feet to the floor and breathing deeply as if in relief; he seemed worried for some reason. Finally, the two boys returned their attention to the smaller.

"So, um, Arthur..." Alfred started awkwardly again. "You're the younger brother, right? How much younger? What year are you going into?"

Alan suddenly looked eager again, his eyes wide and his smile hopeful. He leaned forwards as Arthur tilted his head so it was aimed downwards. He still seemed rather disappointed that he never lifted his hood, but Alfred couldn't tell what he was thinking. Of course, this was Alan. He always had something planned, whether it be to get them out of trouble with their parents, to get them the right seats at a Quidditch match, or to get an extra hour wandering around Diagon Alley; Alan was a genius.

Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm, um, fifteen." he said softly. "I'm going into my fifth year."

Alfred smiled, glad he was talking. "Really? Then you're as old as I am! That's-"

"Actually, lad..." Alan interrupted, chuckling as he held up a hand. "Arthur's a couple of months older than you. He may just look like a Second Year, but he's a Fifth, and a jolly good Wizard at that. The magic he did just now was child's play." at this he reached over and ruffled the top of Arthur's hood, as if it was his hair. "Isn't that right, brother?" he smiled as Arthur made a teasing noise of protest and brushed his hand away.

Alfred nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to see you duel! You could probably take on all the Seventh Years! And if you're that good at magic, you'll just love it at Hogwarts!"

Arthur nodded. "I...I hope I will," he admitted. "I read a lot about it...I've never been or anything, though." Alan looked like he had to suppress a cry of delight when Arthur spoke. "I've never seen it, either. What...What does it look like?"

Suddenly the train began slowing down, and, looking out the window, Alfred beamed as he saw the familiar castle up ahead. "Well, don't ask me, look for yourself!" he said, almost trembling with excitement. He saw Arthur shift around and turn his head so he could see. "That's Hogwarts?" Arthur asked in a small voice, standing and pressing a hand to the window. You could almost feel the admiration and wonder as he stared at the school up ahead, a sweet smile gracing his voice. "It's...Huge...!"

"I know, right?!" The taller touched Arthur's shoulder from behind, making him jump. "It's an amazing school! I wonder what house you'll be in, since you've not been sorted yet..."

"Are you in Gryffindor?" Arthur interrupted, turning to face Alfred, and brushing over the red-and-gold emblem on his robes with a gentle hand. He looked up curiously at the American, his hood still shadowing his face.

"Yup! And now I'm a Prefect too!" Alfred gave a thumbs-up and winked, smiling that hero smile of his as the train rolled to a stop. Eyes wide, he grinned hugely and bit his lip in anticipation. "Dude, we're here!" he sounded like a girl getting ready to go to a sleepover.

"Alright! Everyone off the train! C'mon, move it, now!" a wizard suddenly shouted from in front of their compartment. Many people were heard moving about, shuffling their feet talking in loud voices and so far they were the only ones not making for the exit. Arthur frantically pulled his hood further over his head, panicked,(As if anyone could see in the first place) just as Alfred and Alan shared a glance. "You too, boys!" the wizard called to them.

Alan opened the door and held it open as Alfred went first, followed by a very reluctant Arthur and they stayed in a small group mostly. Alfred realized Arthur was almost a whole head shorter than him; it only added to the cute, discreet features of the smaller boy. They were all ushered off the train, onto a small black platform. "First Years! First Years over here!" a voice called, startling Arthur. Alfred noticed he followed him and stuck by his side mostly, avoiding the jostling crowd. Finally, along with the older witches and wizards, they started towards the great big castle made up of infinite towers and turrets up ahead. Arthur angled his head upwards, as if he was looking at it. Alfred doubted he could.

"How do you see with that thing on?" he asked, referring to his hood while looking down at the smaller peer. Again, Arthur tilted his head towards him, as if he could see.

"I can't." he said softly. "I can only really see the ground; that's how I know where I'm going. Besides that I mostly rely on my hearing."

Alfred whistled long and low, impressed. "So you could totally pretend to be blind, huh?"

"Um...I guess." Arthur clasped his hands in front of him nervously, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Oi!" shouted a voice behind them. "Alan! Alfie!"

Alfred and Alan turned at the same time, recognizing the voice and blinking in surprise. Arthur turned as well, stiffening. It was Aiden who called, with Allistor and Adrian following. He appeared worried as he waved for them, approaching once he got their attention. As he strode closer, Arthur suddenly clung close to Alfred's side, clutching his arm as if it were instinctive. Alfred may not have been able to see his face, but he could imagine that he would probably look rather fearful, so, looking sympathetically at him even if he was surprised by his actions, Alfred pulled him closer and wrapped an arm comfortingly around his shoulders, knowing Allistor and Aiden apparently didn't like him and feeling the need to ease his fear. "Hey, what's up?" he asked casually as the Irish wizard slowed, walking with the threesome while the two other brothers caught up as well.

Aiden cast a startled glance at Arthur, still shielded by his hood as his grip on Alfred's robe tightened, his nearly-hidden knuckles going white. "Uh, did he...?" he made a hand motion over his head that looked like throwing a hood over.

Alan shook his head, but still looked rather optimistic. "He's talking to him, though, right Arthur?" he smiled at his brother.

"...Yes." Arthur replied carefully, moving even closer to Alfred.

Aiden looked completely surprised, but...in a good way. "Hey," he said, catching Arthur by the shoulder and kneeling, forcing the crowd to move around the group. Pulling up his hood in such a way that only he could see his face, Aiden smiled guiltily up at the brother of his. "I'm sorry," he murmured, reaching up to Arthur's face. "I'm happy, though, that you're finally...Talking, you know what I mean? Alfie is a good guy, and he wants to be your friend, I'm sure," he looked up at the American as he said this, and Alfred nodded vigorously. "I hope you can forgive me for...being a jerk. I was just mad after that one time...But that's no excuse. Can I be your brother again...?" he asked softly, frowning.

There was a long moment of suspense, but finally, Arthur made a nodding motion.

Aiden broke into a big smile and patted his brother's back, standing once more. "Alright, brother of mine, let's go." and with that, he began to march onward up ahead of the group with Alan, sharing a high-five with him. Allistor smiled wryly and nodded to Alfred, patting both his and Arthur's shoulder and making the youngest stiffen, and Adrian flashed a thumbs-up, obviously pleased. Alfred felt happy that suddenly Aiden had forgiven Arthur for...Whatever it was that he did. It was rather suspicious, though. Maybe what had gotten him mad in the first place involved refusing to speak or show his face? Ah...Well, that was too confusing. But at least it was okay for now, right? He sent a small smile Arthur's way and followed the Kirkland brothers. It didn't seem Allistor had forgiven Arthur quite yet, though.

Arthur's grip on Alfred never loosened.

"Aye, see you later, Alfie!" Allistor called as he and Aiden moved towards the Ravenclaw table. "Bye Allistor! See you later Aiden!" Alfred called after them, waving. Smiling, he paused next to Adrian and Alan as they waited for a couple of Hufflepuffs to pass, including a few Alfred knew. Then the remaining four finally moved towards the Gryffindor table, but Arthur seemed reluctant, stopping and forcing the others to follow suite.

"A-Alfred...?" he asked meekly, tugging on his sleeve. Alan and Adrian turned as Arthur spoke, joining the two. "Yeah?" Alfred asked, looking down at the smaller. He glanced at Alan, who looked like he was about to cry with the joy of seeing Arthur speak his name.

"Um...Wh-where do I go? I mean, I-I'm not a First year...But I'm not sorted yet either-"

"Hello, boys," a teasing voice interrupted, making the four whirl around in surprise. "Mother!" Adrian and Alan said happily, immediately brightening. The Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Lily Luna Kirkland, stood in front of them smiling happily as she usually did. She gave her sons and Alfred a quick squeeze as she spoke. "I see you've made a friend already, Arthur!" she praised, making them all chuckle at the inside joke. "Now, I know you're confused," she said, kneeling and reaching through his hood to stroke his cheek. "But don't worry, sweetie. Go ahead and sit with Alfred, Alan and Adrian until they start sorting, alright? They'll call your name somewhere on down the list, so it'll be just fine." She gave Arthur one last hug before rushing off to the rest of the staff before she was late. Arthur still seemed confused anyway, but the thought of getting sorted seemed to terrify him.

Adrian smiled and shook his head. "Ah, mother...C'mon, lads, let's go." he began leading the four towards the Gryffindor table, where a lot of familiar friends smiled and waved, waiting eagerly for the feast and saving seats for others. Alan and Adrian finally found room for four somewhere down in the middle of the table and they took the further end while Alfred and Arthur sat across from them. Alfred noticed that Arthur still hadn't let go of his arm, but...He thought nothing of it and just smiled at him.

"It's big, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Arthur asked, startled.

"The school. Isn't it amazing?" Alfred's eyes sparkled in awe and amazement as he gestured around the hall, from the bewitched ceiling to the ghosts floating about, to the huge halls...

"Um...Y-yeah..."

And everything went on. The Headmistress introduced herself, and let her brother, Professor Albus Severus Potter, explain the Sorting Hat. Mostly, Alfred watched the new future Witches and Wizards in amusement, knowing he was once one of those shocked First Years who were overcome with amazement and knew only to follow along...He turned back to Adrian and Alan after politely listening to the Sorting Hat's annual song and Professor Potter had began calling out names from an obnoxiously long list.

Names like "MARY MELBOURNE!" or "JOHN BEASLEY!" would be called, and, of course, the hat would scream out house names, like "HUFFLEPUFF!" or "SLYTHERIN!"

"BONO VOX!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"ABRAHAM PTOLEMY!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The brothers and Alfred eventually got bored listening, so they started a humorous conversation, telling jokes and funny stories, some of them about the stupidity of Muggles, most about the idiocy of Wizards. Arthur was silent, though; Alfred figured he was probably scared. Of course, so was he when he first came to Hogwarts; everything was so ominous! The number of First Years needing to be sorted gradually dwindled, and when there were only four or five left, Adrian stopped laughing long enough to speak.

"So, Alfie," he started. "You have GOT to see the new Common Room! They remodeled everyone's, but ours is the best! Just wait 'till you see it, lad!" he looked excited as he spoke. "The dormitories are bigger too, and the beds are pure heaven! There are more of them, too."

"Really?! They've finally decided to do that?!" Alfred asked excitedly, almost forgetting there were no more First Years left. "After five years of asking, they've finally done it?! YES-"

"ARTHUR KIRKLAND!" Professor Potter called loudly, making the four turn in surprise.

Arthur jolted in alarm as his name was called, still clinging helplessly to Alfred's arm. He appeared to be...trembling for some reason. He didn't relent his grip either; poor guy must've been scared out of his mind. Alfred frowned and patted his back comfortingly. "H-hey, dude, it's alright..."

"Go on then, laddie!" Alan urged as Headmistress Kirkland eyed the three. "Go put on the hat!"

"I-I can't!" Arthur protested, panic rising in his voice.

"Why not?!" Alan and Adrian demanded at the same time.

Arthur only flinched in response. "I-I just..."

"Hey," Alfred said gently, taking him by the shoulder. He noticed as he pulled the poor Brit to face him that his one free hand had been clenched into a fist and pressed worriedly to his chest, probably covering his mouth. "Listen; I know you're scared. Trust me, we've all been through this! It's not bad at all, alright? It's actually kind of fun!" He offered his most genuine smile, wanting to help the poor boy.

"Um..." Arthur appeared to disagree for a second, but after a bit, he reluctantly nodded. "O...Okay."

"ARTHUR KIRKLAND?" Professor Potter began looking around, unable to find him, so Alfred let him stand up, then gave him a gentle, encouraging nudge in that direction. Arthur hesitated, looking back at him, and Alfred smiled reassuringly to him, hoping to ease his fear. Arthur nodded hesitantly to him, and turned around, walking with slow steps towards the front. It must've been unnerving, Alfred realized, as he noticed every single eye in the room turn to look at the Fifth year. He walked directly down the center, having to cross quite a bit of distance until he could get to the hat. With everyone watching. They all seemed curious as to why he had his hood up.

Suddenly his foot caught on something, and he tripped, crying out in surprise. Unable to catch his balance with his flailing arms, he was sent sprawling on the floor, his hood barely managing to hide his face. He landed with a dull thud on his stomach next to the Ravenclaw table, laying limp for a second before moving his arms and attempting to lift himself up.

Nearly everyone burst out laughing.

"A-Arthur!" Alfred cried out, shocked, and probably unheard over everyone else. he glanced back at Alan and Adrian, who were equally as aghast as he.

A ginger-haired Hufflepuff suddenly rushed forward, his expression creased with worry as the room echoed with laughter. He immediately fell by Arthur's side and helped him sit up, supporting him with his arms and speaking. Alfred couldn't tell what he was saying, but Arthur apparently responded and the two made a move to stand. The Hufflepuff eased him up until he had managed to balance himself and bit his lip, asking him something. He had the most heartbreakingly concerned expression on his face as he steadied the Brit by his shoulders until Arthur nodded again.

Alfred didn't remember his name, but he'd seen the boy before; he didn't recall him having any friends, but he had a really mean brother. Of course, typically, it was him everyone laughed at, so to some people, his presence made the situation funnier.

The boy offered a weak smile and gestured towards the hat, and Arthur sheepishly turned and walked in that direction again with one last nod. Just as he had turned to move back to his seat, the boy's foot twirled around his own robes and he slipped with a cry, repeating what Arthur had just recovered from, landing flat on his face. Now everyone laughed at him instead of Arthur, pointing and jeering and yelling some really mean things. Alfred covered his mouth with his hand as the boy slowly pushed himself back up, his face twisted with agony as everyone ridiculed him. Again, Alfred glanced back at Alan and Adrian, and the three of them shared a brokenhearted glance.

Arthur turned back as the scene unfolded before everyone else, and he started to hurry back to his aid, but the boy suddenly scrambled to his feet, tears pricking at his eyes, and ran back to his seat at the end of the Hufflepuff table. Alfred swallowed thickly in guilt, knowing he could've- and should've- done something. Hopelessly, Alfred glanced at the Ravenclaw table, where he noticed Ludwig. Eyes widening, he realized the German was just about to explode with anger when a fresh surge of snickering started as everyone noticed the boy bury his face in his robe sleeves and cry.

"Grrrgghhhh...GGGGGHHRHGghhhrrgghhh...EVERYONE SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!" Ludwig screamed, slamming his hands on the table and abruptly standing. He sent a dinner plate in the air with his fist. Everyone at his table jumped, Arthur started violently at his voice, and Alfred stared, wide-eyed at him as Ludwig seethed in his anger. "Do any of you have_ any_ respect?! Are you _blind_ enough to not see that all we're trying to do is finish sorting?! Look at him!" he gestured to Arthur, who backed up a step in surprise as Ludwig caught the plate in midair. "Did he ever do _anything_ to you?! No! All he's_ trying_ to do it get this all over with! But apparently that isn't going to happen, is it?! And look at _HIM_!" he waved a hand furiously in the other boy's direction, who didn't seem to notice. "I am _ashamed_ to say that I stand in a room full of people who don't even _care_ if someone else _cries_ because of them! Do you not see him?! Does he mean _nothing_ to you?! All he was trying to do was help, and now he can't even do_ that_ without being teased or made fun of! What gave _any_ of you the impression that he was to be_ laughed_ at?! Does anyone like him_ deserve_ that?! If _anything_, he's the sweetest person I know and should never have to suffer _dummkopfs_ like you just mocking him with scorn! What is there to gain from any of it?!"

At this the boy peeked up with teary eyes at the Ravenclaw, who's glare raked searingly over the rest of the room. He seemed confused as to why he would say such a thing...

"I thought Hufflepuff was known for treating others equally, yet still the house laughs at him." Ludwig concluded, calmly setting the plate he'd accidentally flung in the air back on the table and claimed his seat once more.

"...Thank you, Mr. Beilschmidt." Professor Potter finally interrupted the silence. "You speak the truth; Helga Hufflepuff's intention was to treat everyone as equals. Thank you for reminding us of this," he bowed his head. "Now, Arthur," he beckoned him.

Arthur nodded quickly and rushed towards the front, careful not to trip again. As he arrived to the chair, he hesitated, stopping completely and angling his head towards the man. With a very obvious reluctance, he wrung his hands and sat down in the chair, almost trembling in his anxiety. Professor Potter frowned, but nodded in acceptance and calmly set the hat on his head.

Alfred crossed his fingers, swallowing nervously.

"Mm, yes, very interesting," the hat mused, grinning that crooked grin of...er...it's. "Among the most fascinating of minds, I must say. Such a pure heart too...You poor little shy boy, you've suffered…greatly. Alright, I've decided, you belong to the house of…"

Everyone stiffened in suspense.

"HUFFLEPU- Wait, no, that doesn't make sense…" The hat frowned, and a simultaneous gasp echoed through the room. The hat had never denied his own choice. "SLYTHERI- Actually no...He treats everyone equally, but he has a pure wizard family...RAVENCLA-Ah, no, he may be clever, but...GRYFFINDO-GAH No, not that either…" the hat looked in shock at Professor Potter. "I-I can't decide!"

"Please...Please just put me in Gryffindor…" The room was silent as Arthur begged softly. "I want to be in Gryffindor, they said you'd take my opinion into account!"

"He's split by his brothers!" the hat declared. "This has happened before, but never has their traits been split so evenly! But...I suppose it is your choice in this case…Very well. GRYFFINDOR!"

* * *

**Heya :D I had to, I'm sorry. I've been back into Harry Potter and SO EXCITED WHEN I HEARD ROWLING IS WRITING AN EIGHTH BOOK :DDDD Sooo yea, please review, yada yada XD Anyway, if I decide to continue this story(It's entirely up to the reviews ^^') then some history will be unsheathed about Arthur :D Thank ya much for reading ^^**

**~Fezzes64**


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